U.S. patent number 7,585,192 [Application Number 12/391,582] was granted by the patent office on 2009-09-08 for electrical connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Ming-Chun Lai.
United States Patent |
7,585,192 |
Lai |
September 8, 2009 |
Electrical connector
Abstract
An electrical connector includes a housing and a plurality of
terminals disposed in the housing. The housing defines a plurality
of passageways passing through a rear surface and a front surface
thereof. An upper portion of a rear of the passageway extends
sideward to form a fixing slot and a bottom thereof extends
downward and then forward to form a receiving fillister. Each of
the terminals has a base board received in the passageway. A top
end of the base board is bent sideward to form a fixing portion
buckled in the corresponding fixing slot. A rear of a bottom end of
the base board extends downward and then is bent forward to form a
holding portion held in the corresponding receiving fillister. A
free end of the holding portion is bent downward and extends
forward to form a soldering portion located under a bottom surface
of the housing.
Inventors: |
Lai; Ming-Chun (Taipei Hsien,
TW) |
Assignee: |
Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co.,
Ltd. (Taipei Hsien, TW)
|
Family
ID: |
41036950 |
Appl.
No.: |
12/391,582 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/700 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
12/57 (20130101); H01R 13/2428 (20130101); H01R
12/712 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/24 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;439/700,824,289,79,80,752 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dinh; Phuong K
Attorney, Agent or Firm: WPAT, P.C. King; Anthony
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electrical connector, comprising: a housing having a front
surface, a rear surface and a bottom surface, the housing defining
a passageway extending longitudinally to pass through the rear
surface and the front surface, an upper portion of a rear of the
passageway extending sideward to form a fixing slot, and a bottom
thereof extending downward and then forward to form a receiving
fillister penetrating through the bottom surface; and a plurality
of terminals substantially disposed in the passageway of the
housing and each including a base board extending vertically, a
contact arm with a front end thereof projecting out of the
passageway and an elastic portion elastically connecting the
contact arm to the base board, a top end of the base board being
bent sideward to form a fixing portion, a rear of a bottom end of
the base board extending downward and then being bent forward to
form a holding portion, a free end of the holding portion being
bent downward and then extending forward to form a soldering
portion, wherein the fixing portion is buckled in the corresponding
fixing slot and the holding portion is held in the corresponding
receiving fillister, the soldering portion is located under the
bottom surface.
2. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
passageway includes a receiving cavity passing through the rear
surface for receiving the base board and the elastic portion
therein and an inserting cavity extending forward from a middle of
a front of the corresponding receiving cavity to pass through the
front surface for receiving the contact arm therein, the junction
of the receiving cavity and the corresponding inserting cavity
forms a preventing surface for restricting the elastic portion with
the receiving cavity.
3. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the
elastic portion is substantially serpentine shape and
longitudinally extends between the base board and the contact
arm.
4. The electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, further
comprising a cover having a base body extending transversely and
disposed vertically, two opposite ends of the base body extending
forward to form a pair of holding sections facing each other, each
of the holding sections defining a holding aperture passing
therethrough, two opposite sides of the housing protruding outward
to form a fixing lump respectively, wherein the base body is
covered on the rear surface of the housing and props against the
base boards of the terminals, and the fixing lump is buckled into
the corresponding holding aperture.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a connector, and more
particularly to an electrical connector.
2. The Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, conventionally, an electrical connector 1'
includes a housing 10' and a plurality of terminals 20'. Each of
the terminals 20' has a rectangular base board 21' extending
vertically. A rear edge of the base board 21' extends rearward to
form a bar-shaped soldering portion 22' and a top of a front edge
thereof extends forward to form an elastic portion 23' with a
substantially serpentine shape. A front of the elastic portion 23'
extends forward to form a substantially rectangular contact arm
24'. The base board 21' and the elastic portion 23' are disposed in
the housing 10'. The contact arm 24' is inserted in the housing 10
and a free end thereof stretches out of a front surface of the
housing 10'. The soldering portion 22' stretches out of a rear
surface of the housing 10' for being soldered to a printed circuit
board (not shown).
However, the terminal 20' is assembled in the housing 10' only by
means of the base board 21' being fastened in the housing 10'. As a
result, when the electrical connector 1' is shaken in use, the
terminal 20' is apt to fall off the housing 10'. Furthermore, the
length of the electrical connector 1' is relatively longer due to
the soldering portion 22' stretching out of the rear surface of the
housing 10' so that it makes the electrical connector 1' occupy a
relatively larger space in a matching electronic device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
connector including a housing and a plurality of terminals disposed
in the housing. The housing has a front surface, a rear surface and
a bottom surface and defines a passageway extending longitudinally
to pass through the rear surface and the front surface. The upper
portion of a rear of the passageway extending sideward to form a
fixing slot, and a bottom thereof extends downward and then forward
to form a receiving fillister penetrating through the bottom
surface. The terminal is substantially disposed in the passageway
of the housing and includes a base board extending vertically, a
contact arm with a front end thereof projecting out of the
passageway and an elastic portion elastically connecting the
contact arm to the base board. A top end of the base board is bent
sideward to form a fixing portion, a rear of a bottom end of the
base board extends downward and then is bent forward to form a
holding portion. A free end of the holding portion is bent downward
and then extends forward to form a soldering portion. The fixing
portion is buckled in the corresponding fixing slot and the holding
portion is held in the corresponding receiving fillister, the
soldering portion is located under the bottom surface.
As described above, the fixing portion of each of the terminals is
buckled in the corresponding fixing slot of the housing and the
holding portion is held in the corresponding receiving fillister so
that can ensure the terminals assembled in the housing firmly.
Moreover, the soldering portion is located under the bottom surface
of the housing so that can reduce the length of the electrical
connector and further reduce an occupation space of the electrical
connector in a matching electronic device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art
by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment
thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional electrical
connector;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electrical connector in
accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the electrical connector of FIG.
2;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of
FIG. 2; and
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a housing of the electrical
connector of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an electrical connector 1 in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a
housing 10, a plurality of terminals 20 disposed in the housing 10,
a cover 30 and a shell assembly 40 mounted on the housing 10
respectively.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the housing 10 is of rectangular
shape and has a front surface 11, a rear surface 12, a top surface
13, a bottom surface 14 and a pair of side surfaces 15. A middle of
the housing 10 defines a plurality of passageways 16 arranged at
regular intervals along a transverse direction thereof and each
extending longitudinally to pass through the front surface 11 and
the rear surface 12. The passageway 16 includes a receiving cavity
17 passing through the rear surface 12. A middle of a front of the
receiving cavity 17 extends forward to pass through the front
surface 11 to form an inserting cavity 18. Accordingly, a pair of
preventing surfaces 19 is formed at the junction of the receiving
cavity 17 and the corresponding inserting cavity 18. An upper
portion of a rear of each of the receiving cavities 17 extends
sideward to form a fixing slot 101 passing through the rear surface
12, and a bottom thereof extends downward and then extends forward
to form a receiving fillister 102 penetrating through the bottom
surface 14. A middle of each of two side surfaces 15 protrudes
outward to form two holding blocks 103 spaced from each other, and
a middle of a rear thereof protrudes outward to form a fixing lump
104. The top surface 13 defines two holding grooves 105 extending
longitudinally to penetrate through a rear edge thereof.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, each of the terminals 20 has a
rectangular base board 21 disposed vertically. A top end of the
base board 21 is bent sideward to form a fixing portion 22. A rear
of a bottom end of the base board 21 extends downward and then is
bent forward to form a holding portion 23. A free end of the
holding portion 23 is bent downward and then extends forward to
form a soldering portion 24. A bottom of a front edge of the base
board 21 extends forward to form an elastic portion 25 with a
substantially serpentine shape. A front of the elastic portion 25
extends forward to form a substantially rectangular contact arm
26.
Referring to FIG. 3 again, the cover 30 has a rectangular base body
31 extending transversely and disposed vertically. Two ends of a
top edge of the base body 31 extend upward and incline forward to
form a pair of propping portions 32. Two opposite side edges of the
base body 31 extend forward to form a pair of holding sections 33
facing each other, and a middle of each of the holding sections 33
defines a holding aperture 34 passing therethrough.
Referring to FIG. 3 again, the shell assembly 40 includes an upper
shell 410 and a lower shell 420 mated with each other. The upper
shell 410 has a rectangular top board 411 and two first side boards
412 extending downward from two opposite sides of the top board
411. Each of the first side boards 412 defines two first fixing
apertures 413 spaced from each other. Two sides of the top board
411 respectively define a first receiving opening 414 extending
longitudinally. A front edge of each of the receiving openings 414
extends rearward and then is arched downward to form a first
resilient arm 415. A rear edge of the top board 411 extends
rearward and inclines downward to form a holding board 416.
The lower shell 420 has a bottom board 421 and a pair of second
side boards 422 extending upward from two opposite sides of the
bottom board 421. Two sides of the bottom board 421 respectively
define a second receiving opening 423 extending longitudinally. A
front edge of each of the second receiving openings 423 extends
rearward and then is arched upward to form a second resilient arm
424. Each of the second side boards 422 defines two second fixing
apertures 425 spaced from each other and two fixing barbs 426
protruded outward, wherein the second fixing apertures 425 and the
fixing barbs 426 are alternately located at the corresponding side
board 422.
Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in assembly, the base board
21 and the elastic portion 25 of each of the terminals 20 are
received in the corresponding receiving cavity 17 of the housing
10. The elastic portion 25 is restricted within the receiving
cavity 17 by the preventing surface 19. The contact arm 26 is
inserted into the corresponding inserting cavity 18 and a free end
thereof stretches out of the front surface 11 of the housing 10.
The fixing portion 22 is buckled in the corresponding fixing slot
101 and the holding portion 23 is held in the corresponding
receiving fillister 102 so as to ensure the terminal 20 assembled
in the housing 10 firmly. The soldering portion 24 is located under
the bottom surface 14 for being soldered to a printed circuit board
(not shown).
The base body 31 of the cover 30 covers on the rear surface 12 of
the housing 10 and props against the base board 21 of the terminals
20 so as to prevent the terminals 20 from moving rearward and
falling off the housing 10. The fixing lump 104 is buckled into the
corresponding holding aperture 34 in order to ensure a firm
engagement between the housing 10 and the cover 30. A free end of
each of the propping portions 32 abuts against the rear edge of the
top surface 13. The upper shell 410 is mated with the lower shell
420 to receive the housing 10 therebetween, wherein the second
resilient arms 424 of the lower shell 420 abut against the bottom
surface 14 of the housing 10, and the holding blocks 103 are
buckled into the corresponding second fixing apertures 425. The
soldering portion 24 is further located under the bottom board 421
of the lower shell 420. Then the first resilient arms 415 of the
upper shell 410 are buckled in the corresponding holding grooves
105 of the housing 10 and the holding board 416 is held on the rear
surface 12 and the propping portions 32. The fixing barbs 426 of
the lower shell 420 are buckled into the corresponding first fixing
apertures 413 of the upper shell 410.
As described above, the fixing portion 22 of each of the terminals
20 is buckled in the corresponding fixing slot 101 of the housing
10 and the holding portion 23 is held in the corresponding
receiving fillister 102 so that can ensure the terminals 20
assembled in the housing 10 firmly. Moreover, the soldering portion
24 is located under the bottom surface 14 of the housing 10 so that
can reduce the length of the electrical connector 1 and further
reduce an occupation space of the electrical connector 1 in a
matching electronic device.
* * * * *